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Arena The NBA Thread

Discussion in 'Community' started by KnightWriter, Nov 16, 2006.

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Which team is the favorite to win the title?

  1. Boston Celtics

    10.0%
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Dallas Mavericks

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  4. Denver Nuggets

    40.0%
  5. Los Angeles Lakers

    5.0%
  6. Miami Heat

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. Milwaukee Bucks

    40.0%
  8. Phoenix Suns

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. Other

    5.0%
  1. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

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    Jan 5, 2011
    Bucks sign Brook Lopez. Center was their weakest position last year. Should give them a bit of shooting/spacing, which they need because Giannis can't shoot and for some reason Snell is afraid to.
     
  2. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
  3. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

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    May 22, 2000
    I thought Brook Lopez would be a player that the Warriors would look to sign, knowing that Javale and Zaza would most likely not return for next season. I would have expect Jordan Bell and Damian Jones to get alot of playing time next season too, but should be the case unless Agent Zero recovers from his Achilles injury faster than expected.
     
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  4. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

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    Mar 14, 2004
    they're also hanging on to looney, who played really well down the stretch.
     
  5. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    Sacramento is reportedly interested in Rodney Hood. Leading to three conclusions:

    1) They are trying to curry favor with agents by offering large sums with their cap space to RFAs, pretty confident that the other team is going to match. Similar to what happened with Zach Lavine.
    2) They should ban alcohol in the Sacramento Kings' board room
    3) both 1 and 2
     
  6. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 22, 2000
    Yeah, I forgot about Looney. He benefited from Bell getting injured, as before that, Looney wasn't getting much playing time. I'm glad Looney is back on the team for next season.

    My wife was more sad to see Zaza go than I was, but I am sad to see him go.

    Over the weekend, the Dubs officially signed KD. And thanks to KD for not taking the max this year as it allowed the team to sign other players. The Dubs also signed the 3-point shooting PF from Utah, Jonas Jerebko, over the weekend, which leaves one roster spot open. Speculation is that Michael Beasley might be on the Warriors radar because of his scoring and friendship with KD, and other think Jamal Crawford with his scoring ability, which the Warriors would need off the bench as that was one of the weaknesses last year. Although, that number was kind of skewed because of injuries.
     
  7. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

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    Jan 5, 2011
    The Pacers have quietly made some improvements while bringing back almost their entire team. I wonder if the under the radar signings will allow them to sneak up on people again. I don't think they're going to prove to be a fluke.
     
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  8. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 22, 2000
    I doubt the Pacers will be able to sneak up on teams, but they should be a top 3-4 team in the East, as the Cavs will take a few steps down this year and the rest of the Eastern teams have made a splash in free agency.

    So the Khawhi rumors continue to spin. Some have him going to Toronto, others to the Clippers and of course, still in play, the Lakers. Personally, I hope he goes to an Eastern Conference team. However, I like the news that Khawhi doesn't want to go to the Lakers because he doesn't want to be in LeBron's shadow.

    After Khawhi, Melo would be the big name in the rumor mill. Supposedly the Rockets are interested, as well as the Sixers. It would seem the Melo would be a difficult fit on most teams because he still wants to be a starter and he's not a really a spot up, catch and shot type of player as he prefers to have the ball in his hands for rhythm and flow in his shooting.
     
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  9. JEDI-RISING

    JEDI-RISING Chosen One star 6

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    Apr 15, 2005
    the NBA rumor season has become bigger than the season
     
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  10. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

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    Mar 14, 2004
  11. epic

    epic Ex Mod star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 4, 1999
    still a strange decision for me, I thought at this late stage of his career it would have been all about the potential for winning rings. obv family is important but he will be retired after this contract, he will have the rest of his life for his family. lakers will be relevant again but they aren’t winning anything any time soon. his support, although better than the cavs, is still nowhere near good enough.

    also waiting another year for someone like Kawhi (if he ever arrives) is a decent tactic for when you have time up your sleave, not when you have the best player in the world but who is clearly on the wind down.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
  12. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    yeah, but i think trying to build his media empire and the fact that he was already basically living there are other important factors. it clearly wasn't a decision primarily motivated by winning, which does feel weird after his previous moves and moves that other players have made recently.
     
  13. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    I think the idea that in Cleveland/Akron, his kids would have been in schools where they would have been inundated with "ZOMG BRONNIE JAMES" but in SoCal, he can go to a school where he's just one of many celebs with their kids at that school ... it's an argument I can kinda buy as "family focused"

    Edit: I'm fully aware that I've got my LeBlinders on, and I'm willing to give him any benefit of the doubt and find any way to let his actions fit into the words he's said, the complete opposite of what I was doing when he went to Miami. But that's what happens when you have "Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!"
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
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  14. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

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    Mar 14, 2004
    inty, i think maybe the fact that he's not going to the best destination to get rings, and that in fact he might not get any more, maybe helps give him the benefit of the doubt this time. no?
     
  15. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 22, 2000
    Yeah, I feel already having two homes in the LA area and his family's wishes were huge factors for LeBron signing with the Lakers; plus the business opportunities were more accessible in LA. But let's not count out the basketball side of the decision to move LeBron's talents to LA, as there's alot of good amount of talent and abilities with the young players that the Lakers have and they did have the ability to offer another max contract in the free agent market to get another proven star player to play along side with LeBron. No one really believes the current Lakers roster will be the roster that starts off the season, and most likely won't be the roster after the trading deadline in the middle of the upcoming season. Plus, I don't think there will be alot of pressure for LeBron to win the championship this upcoming year because of Golden State and Houston are still considered the favorites, unless the Lakers were able to trade for Kwahi.

    Additionally, when LeBron has changed teams previously, he didn't win the NBA Finals that year but rather the year after. Next year, the Lakers will definitely be more aggressive in the free agent market and I'm sure they'll be able to sign one of the big names in free agency next year. The Lakers and the city of LA has so much cache and perks for free agency that it's very unlikely they won't be able to sign another big time player next year.

    If LeBron just wanted to move to LA and didn't care about winning he could have just signed with the Clippers. The Lakers have a great upside and potential of winning rings in the next year couple of years.
     
  16. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    @tom - not for me. There were three of 29 teams he could have signed for and I would have been unable to support him. Philly, Houston .. those could have been easy "ring chasing" destinations, and I wouldn't have begrudged him. It really did all change - for me - with the title.
     
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  17. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    i think he chose the lakers over clippers because of media exposure as much as for basketball reasons. obviously he would like to win and the lakers do have a few interesting pieces, they will definitely be in the playoff mix. but i just think they're too far behind the rockets and warriors and lebron's window of still performing at his peak is probably too short. though he'll probably prove me wrong on that count. and who are the big names they are going to go after in 2019? kawhi? apparently doesn't want to be robin to lebron's batman. klay? don't see him leaving the warriors who will almost definitely be willing to go deep into the tax to give him the max if that's what he wants. boogie? no idea how he's going to look after coming back from injury. who else is out there? is kemba walker going to put them over the top? he's good but i don't see it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
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  18. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

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    May 22, 2000
    I hope Klay doesn't leave he Warriors, but there's potential of that if the Dubs can't extent his contract this upcoming season and Boogie returns to form, where they may consider signing him instead of Klay. Additionally, there's consideration of Draymond's contract the year after, as Draymond said he'll be looking for a max deal when his contract is up. So, there's a good possibility that Klay leaves the Warriors, but again, I hope that doesn't happen.

    It's hard to get a read on Kawhi since everything has been from second or third hand sources; nothing directly from Kawhi. And I cannot discount Magic's sells pitch to Kawhi nor LeBron actually recruiting Kawhi directly. It's a long ways away, so things can always change one way or the other. And there's still the fading potential of the Lakers trading for Kawhi this season.

    And speaking of the Rockets, their hopes on a championship pretty hinges on the health of CP3, whose career has been ridden with injuries. I think the Rockets would be wise to limit his minutes this season and try not to win the West at the expense of heavy minutes put on CP3.
     
  19. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    fair points on kawhi. the warriors can't resign boogie. by giving him the mid-level exception they can only give him a 20% raise, due to weird rules in the collective bargaining agreement. he could decide to stay for that small raise i suppose, but that wouldn't stop them from re-signing klay. there is a slight chance that klay could leave for the lakers, as he does have ties there but i think as long as the warriors are still cohesive and winning he will stay. leaving a dynasty to join lebron in his 17th season and a team that can only offer you less money seems like a pretty counter-intuitive move.
     
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  20. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

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    Jan 5, 2011
    IT4 sure has fallen. He might be a good value at this point as a cheap, high risk, high reward investment. Yeah, his hip might be busted and in that case you get little out of him, but even then it's not going to cost you much. Or you might get a near All-Star level offensive player.

    Once again I have to question the Magic. Apparently they're going into the season with DJ Augustin as their starter. I like Augustin probably more than most, but he's purely a back up. They could have easily kept Elfrid Payton, he would have been a RFA and apparently he only got 1 year, $2.7 million from NO. That's barely half of what Orlando's qualifying offer would have been. They wouldn't have had any competing offers for him. They may have been able to sign him to a cheap, long term contract. A good deal. Of course this could easily be a tanking decision.
     
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  21. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

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    Jul 13, 2005
    You might also get a locker room cancer.
     
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  22. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

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    Jan 5, 2011
    I was going to mention that, but couldn't remember him being a locker room problem before this past year (was that why Sac and PHO traded him?). Thought I was being a little harsh, but I can't say I wouldn't be worried about it myself if I were considering signing him.

    The guy does seem to be suffering from a strain of short man's syndrome. Clearly it motivated him to become great, but he also has an inflated ego and doesn't know when to shut up. Still, its also motivating him to get back to what he was, so you know he's going to work hard for it. He really wants to prove himself and become a star again.

    I would just offer him a one year deal. If he becomes a problem, he can be gotten rid of.

    I was thinking sixth man scorer might be a good role for him right now. Would he accept that without making an issue of it, though? If he would accept that role, it could earn him some good will around the league.

    I think Orlando would be a good team for him. They don't have a legit star so it could become his team if he earns it, he could make something of them and himself at the same time. I wouldn't worry much about him taking away from the development of Bamba and Isaac because they don't look like they have dominant offensive potential, anyway. They'll probably just be guys who support, complement and play off others. You might be able to get them to embrace the idea of making up for IT's defense, embrace the role of defensive savior.

    Maybe the Wizards, they haven't been able to find a reliable bench scorer. Plus Wall's health isn't reliable. They have no money to offer him, though, so he'd have to take a one year minimum.

    Maybe the Knicks could try to get him on a relatively cheap, long term, but unguaranteed contract so they can either hit a home run and reap the benefits long term or cut him loose. Frank could play with him and make up for his defensive shortcomings. I don't think Frank will end up a PG, anyway, at least not a dynamic offensive one. They could use a cheap long shot at a potential star.

    Memphis could use him as insurance for Conley.

    Suns GM has said he regrets trading IT. Maybe they could bring him back. They don't really have anyone significant at the point on the roster. They've said they might try Booker at the point, and they drafted that French guy Okobo in the second round, but I don't think he's ready yet.

    I just think his potential is worth the risk, especially if its just a one year deal.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
  23. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    Who are the Knicks fans here?

    @Point Given and @Runjedirun ?

    Would you guys be interested in IT4 on a cheap deal?
     
  24. Point Given

    Point Given Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2006
    We have nothing to lose so sure. Might be a nice trade piece at the deadline to a contender if he keeps his attitude in check.
     
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  25. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    If it's cheap, yes. There's nothing to lose this season.